A Necessary Change
by kally7755
Summary: Percy Jackson was a criminal. His principal has finally had enough and decides to expel him. Only, this isn't the first time Percy had been expelled. When his mom sends him to New York to live with his dad, Percy has a hard time adjusting. Especially when there's a blonde haired, gray eyed beauty attending his school.
1. Chapter 1

Percy was a troublemaker. Actually, troublemaker is too light of a word. He was a delinquent. Last year, he got in a fight with one of the members of the football team. Jacob was sent home with a blackened eye and a bloody nose. He vandalized his math teacher's car, stole several items from a department store, and almost set his school on fire. Needless to say, he spent some time in juvie.

And those were only his crimes from last year.

Now, he sat in the principal's office, his mother seated on the chair next to him, and a very angry looking principal in front of them both.

"Mrs. Jackson, I have called you here _yet again_ to inform you of your son's latest misdemeanor." The principal spoke in a clipped voice, barely holding back her annoyance. "Your son was caught with a can of beer, sitting behind the building. I'm sorry-" _Sorry my ass,_ thought Percy, "-but the only thing that I can do now is to expel him." Sally Jackson sighed. Her exhaustion was evident in her eyes. "Thank you, Principal Jones," she replied. "Let's go, Percy." She stood up and walked out the door, politely nodding at the principal before leaving.

The walk from the building to the car was silent. Sally got into the driver's seat and Percy hopped in, next to his mother. Percy's tough act melted as soon as he was alone with his mother. He could feel the disappointment she was feeling even she didn't say anything. "I'm sorry, mom," he blurted out. Mrs. Jackson focused on her driving, staring straight ahead. "Percy, I know it's hard. You're ADHD and dyslexic and don't feel like you fit in, but I just wish you would try a little harder. You're 17, in the middle of your junior year, and it's about time you get your life together. I'm trying to help you, I really am, but I don't know what to do, and when he offered, I just had to take him up on it!" Sally was rambling now. Percy adopted an expression of confusion. "Wait a minute, _him_? What offer? Who are you talking about?" Sally turned onto their street. Taking a deep breath, she then began to answer Percy's questions. "I've been talking to your dad, and we've decided that you're going to move to New York to live with him for one and a half years." She waited for her son's reaction, knowing that it wouldn't be good.

Percy took a deep breath. He didn't want to yell at his mother, but the emotions swirling within him were too strong. "My dad? You mean the guy who abandoned you, no _us,_ when I was born?!" Their car pulled up on their driveway. "Are you serious?! He doesn't care about us, or me. He has never called, visited, or even sent a letter. What makes you think he'll take me?" Sally's expression changed to one of determination. "I know that he hasn't always been there for you-" Percy snorted. "- but we are going through with this whether you like it, or not. So you need to pull your ass together and start packing your things. You're leaving in a week." Percy got out of the car, making sure to slam it shut. He stormed up to their apartment, and into his room. The raven-haired boy flopped down onto his bed, groaning into his pillow. "Argghh goddammit why is this happening?!"

The week passed far too quickly for Percy. The day he had to leave came much too soon, and before he knew it, he was standing at the airport, a suitcase in tow and a backpack on his back. "Oh Percy, I'm going to miss you so much." Sally's eyes shimmered with tears. "Be good, okay? Don't cause any trouble for your father. Do all your homework. don't stay up too late. Remember to call, if you need me I will be there. You're father will pick you up at the airport. Oh, and remem-" She was cut off when Percy embraced her. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine." he mumbled, lovingly. He turned around and began walking towards his terminal, sending one last wave towards his mother, before continuing onwards. Percy was still pissed off about the whole thing, but he couldn't manage to stay mad at his mom for too long.

As the time came to board the plane, Percy thought about running off, but he couldn't. He wanted to do something right. He didn't want to be a disappointment to his mom who worried too much because of him. Percy found his seat on the plane and settled down, sighing. As the plane took off, he took one final look at San Francisco before settling back in his seat and drifting off into sleep.

Percy grabbed his suitcase and backpack from baggage claim, yawning. His sleepiness hadn't worn off. He searched the small crowds of people who were waiting for someone to get off the plane and his eyes landed on a tall man. The man had black hair with hints of gray, a mustache and a beard. He wore a Hawaiian print shirt with jeans. The man's eyes swiveled and met Percy's. Percy gulped. They were sea green, just like his. The man strode towards Percy, and spoke in a low, booming voice. "Hello Perseus. I am your father, Poseidon Jackson." "It's _Percy_ ," snapped Percy. He hated when people called him by his first name. And he hated his father, too. Poseidon raised an eyebrow. "Alright then, Percy. Let's go hop in the car and I'll take you to the house."

"House" wasn't exactly the word. It was more like a mansion. Percy gaped as they pulled into the driveway. He saw his father looking and immediately scowled. "Well, this is where you'll be living for the next year and a half." said his father. They went inside. The interior was as grand as the exterior. Marble floor led to an open space. There was a kitchen to the right with marble counters, and a fancy looking sink. The living room was huge, and a chandelier hung from the ceiling. The staircase was made of polished wood. Poseidon led Percy up the stairs and towards a closed door. "This will be your room." Percy looked at the door with an expression of nonchalance. "Well then... I'll leave you to get settled. School starts tomorrow at nine," Poseidon descended the stairs. Percy pushed open the door. His room was spacious, and the walls were painted blue. There was a desk in the corner by the doors that led to a balcony. His bed was on the opposite side of the room, and a lamp stood beside it. No posters adorned the walls, but there was a computer. Percy dumped his bags on the floor and collapsed on his bed. Slowly, he drifted into unconsciousness..."

"Percy! Come down for dinner!" Percy woke up with a start. Grumbling, he made his way downstairs, slowly. Poseidon sat at the head of the table. "Finally. I was waiting for you to arrive. I'm so hungry, I could eat an octopus" he joked. Percy merely sat down silently and began to eat. His father's easy going smile dropped when he realized that Percy wasn't going to reply. They ate in silence.

When Percy finished eating, he rose to put his dish in the sink. "Hey, you want dessert?" his father asked. His question was ignored and Percy retreated to his room upstairs. Poseidon sighed. "This is not going to be easy." he said to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! I published my first chapter before I could say any of this. First off, I'd like to say that I'm new to this site and this is my first fanfic. Please comment and tell me what you think, I won't get offended as long as you're being decent. :D**

 **I do not own this lovely series or any of the characters (although I may make up some in later chapters). They are owned by the fabulous Rick Riordan.**

Percy was so close to breaking the alarm clock which was beeping obnoxiously. He slammed his hand on the off button to silence it, and dragged himself out of bed. 7:30 a.m. _Oh that's right, I have to go to that stupid school._ He sighed, dragging a hand through his messy, black hair and made his way to the bathroom. After getting all his stuff together, Percy went downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Good morning, Perse- Percy!" Percy didn't react to his father's greeting. He was determined to not bond with his father. After all, this was the man that ditched his mom to take care of a newborn baby by herself. He thought of his mom. Sally Jackson was the sweetest, kindest, most hardworking person in the world. She would be so heartbroken right now, seeing the way Percy was treating his father. Percy sighed. "Good morning," he mumbled back. Poseidon's face brightened. He had finally gotten something out of his closed off son. Soft sunlight filtered through the kitchen window as Percy fixed himself waffles for breakfast. He rummaged through the cabinet until his hands enclosed around a small bottle, a small smile of victory on his face. Percy pulled the blue food coloring out and added a few drops to his waffles. As he carried his plate to the dining table, his father raised a questioning eyebrow at the color of his son's food, but decided not to pursue the matter. Percy wolfed down his breakfast, grabbed his backpack, and headed out the door. "Goodbye!" His father called after him. "Have a nice day at school!" _Yeah right._

* * *

The bus was crowded. Percy sat in the back where he usually sat, by himself. The bus was cruising on, until it stopped at the next stop. Percy gazed out the window, watching the peaceful sky. Suddenly, he felt someone drop into the seat next to him. Percy glanced over. She was a brunette with light brown skin. Her hair was cut choppily, and a single feather hung from it. Her eyes were like a kaleidoscope, changing from brown, to green, to blue. The girl wore a white off shoulder blouse and tights. As Percy's gaze wandered over her slim figure, she glanced at him. She smiled softly. "Hi, my name is Piper. I don't think we've met." The raven haired boy raised his eyes to hers. He cleared his throat. "Percy." Piper smiled again. "So, are you new here?" Percy scowled, but answered her question. "Yup." Piper's smile didn't falter. "What grade are you in?" "11th." he replied. "Oh really? Me too! I guess we'll be seeing more of each other. Other than on the bus, of course. So... have you always lived in New York?" Percy was, at this point, very annoyed. "What is this, an interrogation?" he spat back. Piper recoiled, her expression rearranged into one of surprise and hurt. She shrugged it off, turned the other way, her feather swaying with the movement. The two teenagers sat in silence for the rest of the ride to school.

* * *

Percy descended the bus and walked towards the school. _Goode High school... here we go._ Lowering his head, he strode towards the front office to pick up his schedule. The lady there gave him a big smile. "Welcome to Goode! Here is your schedule. I have a couple of students here that are going to show you around. They're juniors, just like you. Ah, here they are." The door opened and 3 students came in. The first one was hispanic, with curly black hair and an elfish smile. Behind him was a tall, blonde guy. He had blue eyes and a small scar above his lip. The last person to come in was a girl. Her ever changing eyes reminded Percy of someone... _It's that annoying girl on the bus, Piper._ "Oh... Percy." she said. The blonde looked at Piper, questioningly. "We met on the bus," she confirmed. Percy noticed the way the blonde and Piper stood close together, their hands brushing occasionally. _They must be dating._

"Hey, I'm Leo Valdez. Also known as Captain Awesome!" The hispanic kid introduced himself. "Jason Grace," the blond haired boy said, simply. Percy rolled his eyes. The blonde guy seemed like the stiff type that stuck close to the rules. "Percy Jackson. I don't need you guys to show me around." Not taking the hint, Leo insisted that they had no problem doing so. Jason, Piper, and Leo proceeded to show Percy the way around the school, and Percy grudgingly followed.

"... back there was the cafeteria, and right here is the gym!" Leo pointed ahead. "We have a pool." At the mention of a pool, Percy's looked up in interest. Piper noticed, and smirked. "Yeah, so that's our school." Jason concluded, awkwardly. Piper grabbed Percy's schedule and examined it. "Hmm... you have English first with... Mr. Olson. Ooh that sucks." Jason glanced at Percy's schedule. "I do, too. We can walk together." Percy shook his head, declining the offer. "I'll be fine on my own."

* * *

The bell rang and Percy was completely lost. He hadn't been paying attention during the tour and he wasn't willing to ask anyone where room 310 was. When he finally found his way, he was 10 minutes late.

"... your essays are due tomorrow. Quit grumbling Di'Angelo. Do you want deten- oh I didn't see you. You must be Perseus Jackson. You're late." The corner of Percy's mouth twitched in irritation. "I prefer Percy, _sir_." "Well then, _Perseus_ , you'd better seat yourself before I give you detention." Percy stared at his English teacher. Mr. Olson was short, probably around 5'3". His sparse hair was almost completely gray, and his bushy mustache covered his upper lip. The man had a round belly and round glasses that were perched on his small nose. Percy resisted the urge to throw another comment at his teacher, but held back and plopped down in a seat in the back.

Jason was sitting a few seats down from Percy. Not that he cared. Percy wasn't here to make friends. He was here to somehow pass high school and get it over with. He'd probably be kicked out before the year even ended, so there wasno use in making friends.

* * *

Mr. Olson was ranting about the importance of grammar, and as usual, Percy was off in his own world. Blame it on the ADHD. He was brought to his senses when he heard the soft noise of a note being dropped on his desk. Curiously, he opened the note.

 _Hey Percy. You're hot. I'm hot. Why don't we get to know each other? The janitor's closet at the end of this hallway is always empty after this class. Meet me there._

 _xxx Drew Tanaka_

Percy glanced around, and his eyes landed on a beautiful girl sitting in front of him. She had beautiful hair, and a nice body. He couldn't see her face, considering she had her back to him. _She's hot. Must be Drew._ He scribbled a response, tapped on the girl's shoulder, and gave her the note. When she turned around, he could see that she was very beautiful. Those eyes...

The girl read the note and his response.

 _Hey Percy. You're hot. I'm hot. Why don't we get to know each other? The janitor's closet at the end of this hallway is always empty after this class. Meet me there._

 _xxx Drew Tanaka_

 _You don't look like a slut, but I guess appearances don't tell us everything. Go find someone else to screw._

 _\- Percy_

The girl scribbled something on the note and passed it back to Percy.

 _I'm so honored you don't think I'm a slut. Drew sits behind you, idiot._

 _\- Annabeth_

Percy combed a hand through his unruly hair, slightly embarrassed by his mistake. He passed the note back to the pretty asian girl sitting behind him. As she read the note, her jaw dropped and she froze. Apparently, Drew didn't take well to rejection.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, the bell rang, dismissing class. The girl in front of him, Annabeth, was furiously copying down the homework assignment. Percy didn't bother. It wasn't like he was going to do it, anyways. "Looks like Miss Sassy is also Miss Nerdy." Annabeth looked up from her desk to see Percy standing over it, smirking. Her eyes were a stormy gray, which was oddly beautiful. "Looks like Mr. Tough is also Mr. Jackass." she replied, cooly. Percy's smirk faded. "Whatever." He turned around and walked towards the door. "Later, nerd." he threw over his shoulder as he exited. Jason joined Annabeth who was glaring after the boy. "He's a real... handful." commented Jason. Annabeth nodded. "What a jerk."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is out! Sorry it took so long, I've been neglecting this story. I'll try to get Chapter 4 out this week. I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammar mistakes. Once again, give me your honest opinion.**

The rest of the day went by annoyingly slowly. By the time lunch came, Percy was glad to be free from the clutches of knowledge. After buying his lunch, Percy carried his tray into the cafeteria but then realized that he had no one to sit with. "Hey Percy, come sit with us!" Leo was grinning and waving Percy to his table. Unwillingly, Percy trod over to their table.

"That's Thalia Grace." Leo pointed to a girl with short, choppy, black hair wearing mostly black. She had dark eyeliner which made her electric blue eyes pop out. "She's Jason's sister." She was attractive, yet didn't look like someone you'd want to mess with.

"I can introduce myself, thank you very much," growled Thalia. "I'm Grover." A thin boy with curly hair introduced himself to Percy who was still standing beside the table, not sitting down. "That's Nico," Grover pointed to a pale skinned boy with dark clothes and black hair sitting across from him. Nico mumbled a greeting. A big asian guy introduced himself as Frank, and the small girl with curly hair sitting next to him politely introduced herself as Hazel. "You're turn." Piper said, as she looked at Percy.

"Excuse me, you're blocking my seat." Percy turned around at the sound of a girl's voice. His sea green eyes met her gray ones. "Oh lookie here. It's the nerd." he smirked. Leo, not noticing the tension, tried to introduce Annabeth. "That's Annab-" "I know who she is." snapped Percy. "Move. Please." Annabeth was gritting her teeth, frustrated. "Make me, _nerd."_ Thalia stood up abruptly and marched over to Percy. "Don't talk to her that way," she snarled. Percy's eyes flashed, it looked like her was going to do something, but he just spun on his heel and exited the cafeteria.

"Hey, you drove him off!" Leo said, indignantly. "Didn't you see the way he talked to Annabeth?" defended Thalia. "Well maybe..." Grover began, as he subconsciously chewed on a napkin. "... maybe we should've given him more of a chance...?" His suggestion came out more like a question. Challenging Thalia was a feat only the brave would attempt. Before Thalia could react to what Grover had said, Hazel jumped in. "I agree with Grover. He might just be having a bad day." "He's a jerk and I want nothing to do with him." Annabeth declared as she sat down.

* * *

The bell to signal that school was over rang at 4:30 pm. Percy gathered his things and practically ran out of the school. As he headed out the door, he saw a familiar blond haired girl making her way out the doors. Her gray eyes shone with amusement as she laughed at something Conner Stroll said. Her mouth curled into a smile, a few blond strands falling out of her ponytail. Percy suddenly felt a pang in his chest. He wished he could make someone smile, especially someone as adorable as Annabeth. _Wait, what?_ Percy shook his head and told himself that he was just tired from school. The boy decided to skip the bus and walk home instead. He'd get more privacy that way.

Poseidon wasn't home when Percy reached. He went straight up to his room, dumping his bag on the floor. Turning on the computer, he logged into Skype and called an old friend. "Hey Perce!" A pretty girl with frizzy red hair and green eyes appeared on his screen. Freckles dotted her face, and she grinned widely. "Hey Rachel." She raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing school is over in New York, but it's one o'clock here in San Francisco. Good thing I'm in Study Hall." Percy smirked. "It's not like you would've minded me disturbing class."

"So... how's New York? You make any friends?" Rachel asked. Percy's expression hardened. "No." Rachel sighed. "As your best friend, I have to make sure you're all right. I'm guessing you haven't adjusted to living there. " Percy once again replied with a firm no. "How about girls? Anyone you have an eye on?"

An image of a blonde haired, gray eyed girl flashed through Percy's mind. Suddenly, her hateful expression flashed through his mind, and his thoughts were shattered. "Nope. There's no one I'm interested in." Rachel smiled, sadly. She couldn't bear seeing her best friend so lonely. He had plenty of friends in California, but now he didn't want to connect with anyone. "I gotta go, Perce. Study hall is about to end. Talk to you later, ok?" "Ok. I'll see you later. I wish you were here, though." Rachel nodded. "Me too. I'm leaving now, bye." "Bye." Percy was about to end the call until Rachel spoke again. "Oh, and Percy? Don't close yourself off. Make some friends." she said before ending the call.

* * *

The rest of the week went by uneventfully. Every time he passed Annabeth's lunch table, he could here Rachel's voice in his head. _Oh, and Percy? Don't close yourself off. Make some friends._ On Friday, Grover attempted at being friends with Percy. When he entered the cafeteria, Grover approached Percy. "Hey Percy. So... um.. I was wondering if you'd w- want to sit with us f- for lunch...?" Percy was about to decline his offer. _Make some friends._ "Dammit Rachel." he muttered. Grover looked at him weirdly. "Fine, I'll sit with you." Percy grumbled in response. Grover practically leaped in the air with excitement.

Grover led the unwilling boy to the table. "Guys, Percy's gonna join us for lunch today." Thalia glared at Percy, and Juniper shot him a sympathetic look. Percy took a seat between Grover and Thalia. Not that he wanted to sit by her, but it was the only empty seat left. An awkward silence fell over the table.

"So... Percy," Juniper began, trying to break the tense atmosphere. "... where did you live before you came here?"

"San Francisco," he replied, nonchalantly.

"So, why'd you move all the way here?" asked Piper. Percy looked at her, slightly surprised that she was making an effort. "My mom decided that I needed some influence from my father, so she sent me to live here for 1 and a half years." He shrugged and took a bite out of his apple.

The rest of lunch was quiet, with small conversations breaking out occasionally. The silence was a comfortable one, though. Not awkward at all.

Actually, it was incredibly awkward.

* * *

Percy struggled in school. Well, the academic part of it, at least. He had tried out for the school's swim team and made it. Not surprising considering Percy was the best swimmer Goode had seen in years. Anyways, being ADHD and dyslexic made studies hard for Percy. He tried hard, but the words swam in front of his eyes. Normally, Percy didn't care too much about school. However, when he thought about his poor mother who worked hard to support the two of them, he decided that he might as well try. He wanted to see his mom smile, and not worry about her troublesome son.

That's how Percy ended up sitting outside with his back against the school during his free period. A textbook was sprawled across his lap, notebook and pen in hand. "The quadratic equation? Who the fuck comes up with this?" he groaned, not understanding anything in the textbook. Numbers and words swam in front of his eyes. Percy leaned his head back, resting his hand on his forehead. "I'm so gonna fail."

* * *

Annabeth walked swiftly down the hall towards the exit. She had a free period and, being the studious girl she is, wanted to spend it studying. The sky was clear and it was cool. No better time to go outside to study than now. Tucking her Physics textbook under her arm, she pushed the doors open, and walked outside. Locating an empty picnic table, she made her way over until she spotted a familiar figure leaning against building... was he _studying?_ Annabeth strode over to him, curious.

"I thought someone like you wouldn't care about school." she remarked. Percy looked up, his sea green eyes sparkling under the sun's light. Annabeth's breath caught in her throat. _Doesn't this stuff only happen in books and movies?_ she thought. His tussled black hair swayed very lightly in the wind. Annabeth focused her gaze on his face, not daring to let her eyes wander down to his fit body, his arms with were muscled but not crazily so, or his- shit, she looked. Thankfully, she hadn't been obvious about it, and Percy didn't seem to notice.

"Maybe you should get to know someone better before making assumptions." Percy's voice brought Annabeth back to reality. "Yeah, cause you're such an open book." Annabeth retorted. Percy's eyes widened for a split second, but then returned to their normal size as though nothing had happened. He looked back down at his book and continued to study. "Just leave me alone and let me study, Chase." Annabeth stood there and watche

d him struggle, before sighing and taking a seat by the, admittedly, handsome boy.

"x = [-b + or - sqrt(b2-4ac)]/2a." Percy looked at her, puzzled. "What are you doing, Chase?" "That's the quadratic formula." she replied, simply. "You can use it to find x in an equation ax2 + bx + c = 0, where a, b, and c are replaced by numbers. Say you have the equation x2 – 4x – 8 = 0. Plug in a one for a since there's only one x2. Plug in -4 for b, and -8 for c. You get it so far?" Percy nodded. "Ok, then you simplify. Annabeth went through the rest of the steps with Percy. "And the answer is... x = 2 + or - 2 sqrt(2)." Annabeth set Percy's pen down after finishing the problem. "Try this next one by yourself." She was surprised when Percy did as she asked, obediently.

"I'm done." Percy set his pen down and waited for Annabeth to check his work. She leaned over to see his notebook, which was resting on his lap. Stray blond hairs fell from her ponytail, giving her a casual look. Her stormy gray eyes scanned the paper as she deciphered Percy's handwriting. When she pulled back, Percy was a little disappointed.

"You did it correctly." Annabeth smiled a small smile. "Wait, really?" Percy was shocked. "Yup. Nice job." Annabeth replied. "Wow, none of my teachers have been able to make me understand something as well as you did. How did you do it?" Annabeth blushed, pleased that she was able to accomplish such a feat. "You're dyslexic, right?" Annabeth asked. Percy nodded, wondering how she knew.

"I'm dyslexic, too, and I know all the techniques to make studying easier. I wrote in a way that makes it easier to read." Percy raised an eyebrow. "Wisegirl, you sure know how to study."

"Wisegirl? What kind of insult is that?" Percy shrugged, staring at his notebook. "Maybe it's not an insult." he mumbled, softly. He suddenly swung his head around to look at Annabeth. "Why did you help me?" Annabeth hesitated in her answer, as though she wasn't sure herself. "Tutoring looks good on college applications," she finally replied.

"Hey, why don't we set up a schedule for tutoring?" she proposed. Percy scowled. "Just cause you helped me this one time, that doesn't mean we're frien-" Annabeth shook her head. "This is not about bonding. You obviously care about your grades, and I seem to be the only one who can help. Meanwhile, I need good things for my college applications, and this will help. It's a win-win situation." Percy contemplated the situation. Finally, he sighed. "It's a deal. When should we meet?"

"Does every Thursday after school at 4:45 sound good to you? That way you have 15 minutes to get to the library," Annabeth suggested. Percy nodded. "Alright, it's all set. Meet me at the library tomorrow and we can get started."

The blonde haired beauty stood up and walked away, towards the picnic table she was headed towards before she saw Percy. She waved at Percy as she left, but he was already looking back at his notebook. _Oh gods, I just signed up to tutor Percy Jackson. This is not gonna be easy._


	4. Chapter 4

**I present, Chapter 4! Please review if you have time, and thanks to those who have. :)**

Percy's alarm went of at it's usual time, 7:45 a.m., the next day. He groaned, and slammed a hand on it to turn it off. Last night, he had been up late on Skype with Rachel. The boy was exhausted and he drifted off into sleep again.

Percy shot out of bed. The clock read 8:45 am. "Shit, shit, shit, shit. School starts in 15 minutes." Throwing on some clothes, he grabbed his backpack, sprinted downstairs, and ran out the door. Poseidon called after his retreating son. "Hey Percy, what about breakfast?"

Percy sprinted to school since the bus had already departed. He quickly checked his phone. 8:55 a.m. _I can make it on time if I continue at this rate._ It was then that Percy realized something. Why did he care if he got late for class? He was late all the time. Percy slowed down so that he was jogging, and eventually he slowed down to the point where he was walking.

* * *

When he arrived at school, he smoothed down his clothes and attempted to tame his hair before entering his English class.

Mr. Olson was in the middle of one of his long, boring lectures when Percy came in. "Mr. Jackson, you're 5 minutes late!" Ignoring his teacher, Percy made his way over to his usual seat and sat down. Mr. Olson's face turned red, but he didn't say anything about his student's rudeness.

Annabeth's eyes followed Percy as he sat down. She thought that he would've changed after he opened up to her the day before, but obviously he was the same delinquent he always was.

Percy slid into his seat in front of Annabeth, reminding her that they had a tutoring session today after school. She turned her attention away from the boy in front of her and payed attention to Mr. Olson as he ranted about idioms. Oh, who was she kidding? No one payed attention to Mr. Olson when he ranted, not even his star student.

While the teacher's back was turned, Jason (who sat on Annabeth's right) tossed a note onto her desk. She unfolded it, curiously. Jason wasn't much of a note passer, so it must be important.

Annabeth wrote a reply and tossed it back to Jason. They kept writing back and forth.

 _Annabeth, did you hear about the prank?_

 _-Jason_

 _Umm... no. I have no clue. :P_

 _-Annabeth Chase_

 _Someone vandalized the school building by spray painting random symbols on the side._

 _-J_

 _What? Who would do that?!_

 _\- AC_

 _Two seniors, Luke Castellan and Ethan Nakamura. Remember, they've been planning something for days. We can't tell anyone, though. They threatened to beat up anyone if someone ratted them out._

 _-J_

It was at this point when the two were interrupted as the principal entered. Goode High School's Principal, Principal Dionysus, had a chubby face, red nose, and curly black hair. He wore a tiger-striped shirt, and his eyes were slightly bloodshot.

Mr. Olson stopped in the middle of his speech to address the principal. "Goodmorning Principal Dionysus. What brings you to my cla-"

"Peter Johnson!" bellowed Dionysus. "Do you have a student named Peter Johnson?" Mr. Olson shook his head. "Maybe you're thinking about Perseus Jackson?"

"Ah, yes. _Perseus Jackson._ " Principal Dionysus corrected himself. Mr. Olson pointed at Percy. "That's him." The principal strode over to the boy.

"Perseus Jackson... I know you graffitied the building, and you're going to face the consequences."

* * *

" _What?!_ " Percy shot out of his seat, knocking his chair over in the process. Dionysus narrowed his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, boy. Witnesses told us they saw you making your way to the side of the school last night with spray cans."

"I. Didn't. Do. It." Percy growled. Dionysus scowled at Percy, displeased at his refusal to confess. "Can you prove your innocence?" he challenged. Percy stared at the principal, an expression of anger ingrained in his features. His whole body was tense, as though preparing for a fight.

Or maybe he was preparing to run.

"You're coming with me, Peter," Dionysus said, smugly. Unwillingly, Percy followed the man to his office. Percy let his hair droop over his eyes, so that no one could see his expression. Before leaving, Principal Dionysus turned around. "Show's over. Commence class again."

* * *

"So, you don't know what happened after?" Jason had just finished recounting the events from English to their friends at lunch. Thalia had asked the question, awaiting an answer from her brother. Nico , who was also in Jason's English class, spoke instead. "No. They left and it looks like Jackson is going to be expelled."

Annabeth sat quietly in her spot, not joining in on the conversation. She was lost in her thoughts until Thalia's voice brought her back to reality. "Hey Annabeth. Anna. Chase. Chasey. Annabeth Chase. Beth. Annie."

Annabeth looked up. "Don't call me Annie."

"Got it, Annie."

Annabeth groaned. Thalia smirked, then grew serious. "What's with you? You haven't said anything all period." Annabeth frowned. "I just... I just wished I had said something, you know? I mean, we all know who actually did it. It's not fair that Percy is getting punished for something Luke and Ethan did." Grover and Juniper nodded.

"Well..." Piper started as she twirled her pasta around her fork. "... I don't understand why you would need to defend Percy Jackson. He has been a dickhead the whole 3 weeks that we've known him. Why should we do him any favors? And also, Luke and Ethan would beat your ass blue and black if you told anyone that they did it."

"Piper's right," agreed Jason. "We shouldn't be doing him any favors."

Annabeth was unconvinced. She was the only one who saw the side of Percy where he wanted to accomplish something.

However, she remained silent and nibbled at her lunch.

 _Should I do the smart thing and keep my mouth shut, or do the right thing and tell the principal?_


	5. Chapter 5

**As I always say, please review. I respect and appreciate your opinions.**

 **Thank you.**

Percy trudged home, fuming. Dionysus had suspended him for 2 weeks, "as a warning". "You should be grateful I didn't expel you, but one more issue and you're out." Dionysus had said.

However, it wasn't the fact that he was suspended which pissed Percy off so much.

It was the fact that he was innocent.

Percy stormed into the house and up the stairs. Mr. Jackson wasn't home since it was 10:00 a.m., and he didn't get home until 5:00 p.m. (30 minutes after school ended). Going into his room, Percy slammed the door shut.

* * *

At 3:00 p.m., Poseidon came home. He went up to Percy's door and knocked. "Percy? Are you in there?" The door swung open, and a sullen Percy stood behind it.

"I heard you were suspended." Poseidon began.

"I didn't do it."

"They found the bottles in your locker."

Percy's eyes flashed. "I told you, I didn't do it! Someone framed me!"

Poseidon sighed and dragged a hand through his jet black hair which was sprinkled with gray. "Ok, but you're still suspended. I can't but help be disappointed. I thought that you'd hold out for the rest of the year."

Percy stood still, shocked. Poseidon was the second person to have any faith in Percy, the first being his mother, and he had blown it. Not intentionally, of course. Percy still felt guilty. Masking his guilty expression with anger, he walked past his father.

"Percy, where are you going?"

"Out."

The boy grabbed his phone and key to the house, and left.

Mr. Jackson shook his head. "That boy gets into too much trouble."

* * *

3 days had passed since Percy's suspension. The news of his suspension had reached the whole school by now, and everyone was talking about it. Almost everyone knew that he didn't do it, but no one did anything about it.

The halls were empty. Annabeth walked slowly, her sneakers making no noise against the floor. Her hands sought out the zipper on her jacket, and fiddled with it. She reached her destination, hands dropping from her jacket. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Annabeth knocked.

"Come in." Pushing the door open, Annabeth went inside. A lady in her forties sitting behind the desk smiled at her visitor. "Oh, hello there Annabeth. What brings you here?" Annabeth smiled, weakly. "Hey Mrs. Scully. I was wondering if... if I could speak to the principal?"

"Why of course, dear. There's no one in his office at the time. Be sure to knock before you go in."

"Thank you Mrs. Scully." Annabeth made her way over to the Principal's door. She knocked. "Enter," said a gruff voice. Annabeth let herself in and stood in front of Principal Dionysus' desk, which he was sitting behind.

"Annie beth. Take a seat." Not bothering to correct her principal, Annabeth sat down. _I am Annabeth Chase. This doesn't faze me._ "So... you came here to see me? You're a perfect student, I'm assuming you're not here about your grades." Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "So why are you here? Hurry up, don't stall." Annabeth took a deep breath before starting. _Just say it. You're prepared. You have all your arguments and evidence. Just do it._

"Percy Jackson is innocent."

Goode High School's Principal stared at Annabeth as though she had grown a third leg. "That's what you came to me about?" The blonde girl nodded. "We've already proved Percy guilty. The matter is settled." Annabeth shook her head. "No, it's not, because Percy isn't guilty. The real culprits are the seniors, Luke Castellan and Ethan Nakamura. Those witnesses? Friends of Luke and Ethan. Also, if you look carefully at Percy's locker, you can see that his lock was damaged. Someone had broken in and placed the cans in there. Motive to frame Percy? Well, there's not really one. Percy has a record, and those boys know it. They figured he would be the easiest target." Annabeth paused for a breath, and Dionysus took this moment to speak.

"I see. However, you don't have any proof that it really was those two." Dionysus smirked with his victory. Annabeth was one step ahead, though. "I tracked down the store from where the bottles were purchased and they allowed me to look at security footage." Annabeth pulled out a CD from her bag and handed it to Dionysus who played it on his computer.

He watched as a blond boy, Luke Castellan, and a dark haired boy, Ethan Nakamura, purchased the spray cans. Dionysus cleared his throat, handing the CD back to Annabeth. "Looks like you caught the real culprits. Congratulations."

He didn't sound too pleased, probably because he had to admit to making a mistake.

"Percy will be returning to school tomorrow, and I'll catch those crooks." Annabeth smiled softly. "Thank you, sir." She departed, feeling accomplished and a feeling of relief spread across her body. No more worrying about whether she should do the ethical thing or not.

Until she remembered that she'd have to face the consequences. Luke and Ethan wouldn't hesitate to beat her up, or worse. Annabeth was seized with worry as she walked back to class, but wiped her face of emotion once she got there.

* * *

"Percy!" Poseidon called for his son as soon as he got home from work, that same day. "Percy, come down!" No response. "Percy!" Nothing. "PERCY!" A grumbling Percy finally poked his head out of his room, and made his way downstairs.

"What is it?" He was still not feeling friendly towards his father, especially since Poseidon didn't believe his son when he said he was innocent.

Mr. Jackson cleared his throat. "Well... I'm sorry for not believing you when you said you were innocent." Percy raised an eyebrow. "I got an call from Goode. They caught the real culprits. Some seniors named Luke Castellan and Ethan Nakamura were the ones who graffitied the school."

"Apparently, some girl by the name Annabeth Chase gathered evidence and proved you not guilty. Your suspension has been lifted, and you'll be starting school again tomorrow."

Silence.

 _"Annabeth?!"_ Percy was shocked. He knew that Annabeth wasn't a big fan of his, so this came as a surprise to him. His father nodded. "Yes, Annabeth." Percy turned and retreated back to his room, expression unreadable.

* * *

Annabeth got up the next morning for school, dreading what the day might bring. Luke and Ethan hadn't unleashed their wrath on her yet, but it was bound to come. She dragged a comb through her tangled blonde curls, and pulled it up into a ponytail.

After getting ready and eating breakfast, Annabeth grabbed her things and ran out the door to the bus stop.

Only to find that she had missed it. _Dammit. I was so reluctant to leave that I took too long and missed the bus._ Annabeth began to walk towards school. Her dad and stepmom had taken the cars for work, and she didn't have her own.

As she got closer to school, her anxiousness dissipated. She'd be safe at school since Ethan and Luke had been expelled. She was only 5 minutes from school when she heard a voice that stopped her in her tracks.

"Hey Annabeth. Or should I say Anna-bitch? We're gonna make you pay for what you did to us."


	6. Chapter 6

**My dear friends,**

 **I am so sorry. Sorry it took so long to post. I encountered writer's block, and then a member of my family was diagnosed with cancer so I lost the motivation to write.**

 **But enough excuses. Thank you to those who have stuck with my story. Thank you so much. I love you all.**

 _"Hey Annabeth. Or should I say Anna-bitch? We're gonna make you pay for what you did to us."_

Annabeth knew she shouldn't turn around. She was smarter than that. She should keep walking.

She turned around, and he stood right in front of her. "Luke," she gasped. Luke smirked and grabbed her wrist. Ethan, who was standing behind Luke, grabbed her legs and they lifted her up. They carried her to a more private area, between two buildings. Annabeth struggled, but it was no use. She was outnumbered and overpowered.

They dropped her on the ground, but before Annabeth could get up, Luke slapped her. Hard. Pain erupted in her face, and her vision became blurry.

"You didn't think you could get away with getting us expelled, did you?" Luke crouched so that he was at her level. His eyes traveled from her face, down over her body. "Well, I can't waste a hot babe like you. I guess it's time for some fun. Ethan, go keep watch." Ethan nodded silently, walking off to make sure no one saw what was going on.

Annabeth couldn't escape, even if she wanted to. Her head was aching, and the whole world was spinning. She could barely keep herself upright. Luke leaned in closer and closer until his mouth finally met hers. Annabeth wanted to scream.

Fingering the bottom of her shirt, he pulled it all the way up, exposing her bra. Luke kissed her stomach, slowly making his way up. At the same time, her was groping her butt. Annabeth suddenly lashed out at him with her fist. It connected with Luke's jaw, and he groaned in pain. "You fucking bitch!" Luke slapped her across the face, again. He stood up and kicked the girl in the stomach. "That'll teach you. Now, are you ready to have more fun?"

Blood trickled down from a cut on Annabeth's cheek where Luke's nail had torn through the skin when he slapped her.

Luke approached her, and pinned her to the ground with his weight. He rubbed his fingers on the insides of her thighs. "Behave, and you'll be fine." He slid her shirt off, and was starting with her pants, when he heard a groan from where Ethan was. Luke whipped his head around to find an unconscious Luke, and a boy standing over his body.

 _"You,"_ snarled Luke.

* * *

Percy surveyed the scene. He had seen Ethan and knocked him out as revenge for getting him suspended. Luke had Annabeth pinned to the ground with his weight, and... her shirt was off. _Don't get distracted, Percy._

He strode over to Luke, but before Luke could get up, Annabeth used the distraction to bite him on the hand.

Luke howled in pain, clutching his injured hand with his other hand. Percy strode over to Luke and punched him in the face. "Aghhhh dammit!" Blood dripped down from Luke's nose. Luke aimed a punch at Percy's gut, knocking the breath out of Percy. Percy grabbed Luke's arm and twisted it. Luke cried out in pain, and Percy let go.

Grabbing the front of his shirt, Percy slammed Luke into one of the two buildings that they were between. Percy brought his face close to Luke's, a menacing look on his face. "Run." He dropped Luke, who ran, dragging Ethan with him. "I won't forget this, Jackson," Luke spat as he retreated.

* * *

Annabeth was frozen in her spot. She hadn't expected _him_ to come save her. Percy turned around to face the girl. _I'm not wearing a shirt._ Annabeth thought, dumbly. Embarrassed, she blushed. Percy tossed her shirt to her and turned around quickly so that she had privacy. "Put it on." he mumbled.

His cheeks were tinged pink. _Is he blushing?_ Annabeth didn't dwell on the thought, and hurriedly pulled on her top. "You decent?" Percy called out. She fixed her hair, and wiped the blood off her face. "Y- yeah." He grabbed Annabeth's bag, and began walking to school. Annabeth followed.

The teenagers were silent, until Annabeth spoke. "Why did you help me? And why are you still helping me?" They'd reached the school by then. Hesitating, Percy opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off when Annabeth's friends came running over. "Annabeth!" Thalia called out, followed by Jason. How they were siblings was beyond Annabeth's understanding. The only thing they had in common were their blue eyes.

Leo and Piper followed those two. Seeing her friends, Percy dumped Annabeth's bag, and headed off inside the school.

"Annabeth, where have you been? We've been waiting for yo- whoa you look like a mess. Is that a cut? Why did you arrive with Jackson? Wasn't he suspended? Did he do that to you? I'm gonna kill him." Thalia dumped questions onto her best friend, and was about to chase after Percy until Annabeth stopped her. Still shaken up from the incident, she shook her head. "Thalia, stop."

Her eyes followed Percy as he entered the school. She was the girl who had almost been raped today, and he was the boy who saved her.

* * *

Annabeth visited the bathroom before going to class to fix her appearance. She wasn't the type of girl who obsessed about her looks, but right now she didn't look presentable. When she took her seat in English and Percy came in, it occurred to her that she'd never thanked him. She tried to, but couldn't build up the courage.

At lunch, Annabeth sat at her usual table with her friends. She was quiet and didn't contribute to the conversation. Her friends noticed, but didn't say anything. Leo, Piper, and Thalia had told the rest about her arrival at school with Percy in the morning.

As usual, Percy came out carrying a tray and passed their table. Before he did, though, Annabeth stood up and approached him. They were close enough to the table for everyone to hear, especially considering the table had gone silent once Annabeth walked up to Percy.

Taking a deep breath, Annabeth let out the three words she had been meaning to say. It was short, but the meaning was clear.

"Thank you, Percy."

Percy cleared his throat. "I should be thanking you. You know, for... lifting my suspension and all. Thanks."

They both nodded, Percy heading to his table and Annabeth sitting back down. Her friends stared at her as though she had forgotten to do the homework (which, for Annabeth, was completely uncharacteristic).

Frank broke the silence. "What just happened?"

* * *

Annabeth didn't tell her friends about what had happened before school. They knew something was up and tried to pursue the matter, but seeing that she wasn't going to spill, they gave up. She wasn't ready to tell anybody about the events that had taken place.

You see, Annabeth was never a very emotional person. She kept her emotions mostly to herself, locked up. Her friends used to be worried about her refusal to open up completely, but soon grew used to it. It's not like the blonde girl didn't feel anything. She did. There were few moments when she would have a burst of emotion, such as when Percy had gotten her riled up the day they met.

Percy. Percy confused Annabeth. She couldn't figure him out, and that frustrated Annabeth. She is the type of person who has to know everything. Maybe its genetic, or not. Whatever the reason, she hated the fact that she couldn't figure out exactly the type of person Percy is.

When the last bell rang, signaling the end of school, Annabeth gathered her things and met up with Hazel and Nico, who were step siblings. They walked home together most days since Hazel and Nico lived across the street from Annabeth.

Before they went to their respective houses, Hazel hugged Annabeth. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here." Annabeth smiled, filling with gratitude for her friend. "Thanks, Hazel." She waved to her friends, and entered her house.

"Annabeth, is that you?" called Ellis, Annabeth's step mother.

"Yeah." Annabeth answered.

"Annie!" Two twin boys came hurtling towards her, and tackled her with hugs. "Hey Bobby. Hey Matthew." Annabeth smiled and hugged her step brothers. Even though they were annoying and not related to her by blood, she still loved the boys a lot.

She couldn't say the same for her step mother.

Everything Annabeth did, Ellis seemed to disapprove of. The two fought often and Annabeth sometimes found herself wishing that her _real_ mother would come back from wherever she was, and take her away. Of course, Annabeth would never leave her brothers and father behind.

"How was school?" Ellis asked.

 _LIke you care._ "It was fine." answered Annabeth, stiffly. She didn't mention the part where she almost got raped, and was saved by a delinquent.

 _"Bottling up your feelings like that won't help."_ That's what Piper would say. Even Nico, who didn't seem to have much emotion, would agree with Piper. Annabeth didn't care. She just wanted to be left alone in her room. She shut herself in her room and dutifully began her homework.

* * *

Hazel Levesque was worried about her friend. First, Annabeth had arrived at school looking slightly disheveled and with a few scrapes and cuts. She refused to talk about what had happened, and barely spoke at all. Then, there was the weird scene at lunch. Why did she thank Percy? And why did he thank her? He said something about lifting his suspension, didn't he?

It was all confusing, and Hazel needed to talk to someone because she was concerned for Annabeth, who was like a big sister for Hazel. Hazel's concern didn't just come from the fact that she was a sweet person, but also due to the fact that Annabeth befriended Hazel and Nico, even though she and the rest of her group were two years older than the step siblings.

So Hazel called the person who she found it easiest to talk to.

"Frank?"

"Hey Hazel. What's up?"

"I called you because... I'm worried about Annabeth. She wasn't her usual self at lunch today and I'm really worried that something happened, and we're her friends so we should be looking out for her cause that's what friends do, and when she came to school she had those cuts and scratch-"

Frank cut off the rambling girl. "Hazel, you should probably stop before you collapse from loss of oxygen."

Her cheeks turned a fiery red out of embarrassment. Glad that Frank couldn't see her, Hazel cleared her throat. "Umm... sorry." Frank laughed lightly. The sound put a smile on Hazel's face.

"It's fine, Hazel. You're right, though. Annabeth was quite out of it today. I don't think she was paying attention in history today. Annabeth. Not paying attention." Frank paused. "Maybe what she needs is some space. I don't want to push her and make her angry. You saw how she was with Percy when he pushed her buttons."

Hazel giggled, her worries almost completely vanquished. Frank always managed to do that to her. "I guess you're right. Plus, she wasn't willing to talk anyways. Thanks, Frank."

"Anytime, Hazel."

* * *

Leo entered his apartment. "Hello?" No answer.

"Sweet, I have the place to myself." Leo grinned. He crossed the apartment to his small, yet sufficient, room. Dropping his bag on the floor, he walked over to his desk where blueprints for his latest invention were laid out.

Pencils were scattered across the surface of the table as were a couple of crumpled papers. Leo pulled out his chair and sat down to work on his project, but was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and a voice calling out.

"Leo!"

Reluctantly, he trudged towards the voice.

"Took you long enough. Bring in the groceries, boy." A lady stood in the doorway, grocery bags sitting on the ground all around her. She brushed past Leo and into the kitchen.

 _"My day was fine, thanks for asking Aunt Rosa,"_ muttered Leo. Grabbing the several heavy bags, he made his way to the kitchen and began putting away the groceries. Aunt Rosa had left the kitchen by then. As Leo was stocking the fridge, Aunt Rosa stormed back in, holding his blueprints.

"What are these?!" she shook the papers in Leo's face. "Those are mine." Leo attempted to snatch back the papers. His aunt held them out of reach. "I thought I told you to quit with this nonsense! Why come up with these inventions when you're too much of an idiot to build them? You have no skill, you're worthless. _Diablo niño._ All you do is destroy!" her face was red, and at this point she was yelling.

Aunt Rosa shredded Leo's designs into tiny pieces. "Clean that up," she barked. Leo hung his head so that his aunt couldn't see the angry etched into his face. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed a broom and pan and cleaned up the mess.

 _Just one more year. One more year and I can get out of here._

* * *

 **I will try to make the chapters longer, as requested by Im torn (thanks for the tip, I appreciate it). This chapter isn't as long as the rest will be cause I wanted to publish something. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am so so so sorry for taking so long with this. Life has been really hectic lately, and next week won't be any easier. Please forgive me.**

 **Anyways, read and enjoy! Remember to review, please. I appreciate it. :)**

"A polynomial is a monomial or a sum of terms that are monomials. Polynomials can be classified by the number of terms they contain. For instance, a polynomial with two terms is a binomial. With three terms, it's a trinomial."

Thursday had come around again, and so did Annabeth and Percy's first official tutoring session. The two high schoolers sat outside on a picnic table. Textbooks, notebooks, and papers covered the table's surface.

Percy was obviously not a top student. He struggled with academics a lot, and his dyslexia didn't help. His grades were always poor, and Percy wanted to change that. Every time his mother would get his report card, she would sag with disappointment. Percy loved his mother and hated making her so sad.

Therefore, the tutoring.

Annabeth, on the other hand, was a brilliant student. She was in all honors classes, except for english since her dyslexia made it _hell._ Even so, she was the best student in her class and even grumpy, old Mr. Olson was fond of her.

Anyways, back to tutoring. Juniors in on-level math took Algebra 2, and that was what Annabeth was helping Percy with. As Annabeth talked, Percy listened intently, squinting his green eyes in concentration.

"Polymonomials," he muttered. Annabeth heard, and rolled her eyes at his failed attempt at trying to understand. "It's _polynomials,_ dummy."

"Well I'm sorry, but not everyone is a _smarty pants_ like you," Percy snapped.

"Yeah, because there are _brain-dead_ people like you out there," spat Annabeth.

"Know it all."

"Dumbo."

"Straw hair."

"Fish brains."

 _"Wisegirl."_

Annabeth's mind raced to come up with another insult. Her stormy gray eyes were locked with his sea green ones, both of them too stubborn to look away. Sea green. The sea.

Barely hesitating, she made her come back.

 _"Seaweed brain."_

Both teens were quite worked up by now. Percy's dark eyebrows were narrowed in anger, his eyes flashing dangerously. Annabeth's cheeks were flushed with rage. Gritting her teeth, she glanced at her phone to check the time. "Oh, look at the time. It's 5:45 already. Time for me to leave." Gathering her things, she stood up. "Oh, and by the way, "Wise girl" is not an insult, _Seaweed brain._

She turned around stormed off in the direction of her house. Percy wanted to be mad at her. _Who does she think she is?_ He couldn't help it, though. His lips curled upwards into a tiny smile as he thought about the way she had bested him. Mentally scolding himself on letting his anger dissipate for a second, Percy stuffed his textbooks and papers in his bag, grabbed it, and began his trek home.

* * *

Poseidon was already home by the time Percy reached. As soon as he reached, Percy's father came to see who had come in.

"Percy, where were you?!"

 _Whoops. Forgot to tell him about the tutoring._

"I stayed late at school," he replied, nonchalantly. Poseidon didn't look convinced. It was kind of hard to believe, considering Percy was not a studious kid. He didn't pursue the matter, however.

Poseidon sighed. "Percy, I have something to show you. Come with me." He made his way to the garage. Setting his bag down, Percy followed. Opening the entrance to the garage from inside the house, Mr. Jackson stepped in.

Parked in the garage was a black Maserati Spyder*. "Figured you'd need a car to get to school and stuff. You do have a license, right?" Poseidon turned to look at his son, who's eyes were wide in shock. Gathering himself, Percy managed to speak. "Y- yeah." Mr. Jackson chuckled. "What can I say? I'm very rich." He tossed the keys to Percy. "Go ahead. Take it for a spin."

Percy climbed in the car, running his hands over the steering wheel. Living with his mom, they barely had enough money to support the two of them. Although Sally tried to give him the best gifts, she could never afford anything lavish.

Especially a car like this.

The green eyed boy backed out of the garage, and drove down the street. It wasn't until an hour later when he returned. After parking his new car, Percy retreated to his room to finish his homework.

* * *

 **7:30 p.m.**

Percy had only been working on his homework for 30 minutes, but was ready to give up. Annabeth had helped him finish his math homework and start his history homework. The names of historical figures and important dates swam in front of his eyes. Groaning, Percy rubbed his eyes wearily. "I need a break."

He went downstairs to get a drink of water when his cell phone started ringing. "Hey mom." Percy smiled, even though his mother couldn't see.

"Percy, how have you been? I miss you a ton."

"I'm fine." He paused for a moment. "School is ok. I haven't gotten into any fights." _Not at school, at least,_ he added mentally."I even have a tutor."

"A tutor? Really? That's great!" Sally's voice was much brighter. "And what is your tutor's name? I want to know who is helping my son." Clearing his throat, Percy answered. "A- Annabeth Chase." On the other end of the line, Sally smiled. She was excited to see that her son was trying. Her excitement didn't last long, however. Her eyes lost the excitement and her face adopted an expression of worry.

"Percy... you're father told me about the suspension."

Sally's son ran a hand through his messy, dark hair. "That wasn't me, mom. I was framed. S-someone cleared my name. Annabeth, actually. I'm back in school, again."

Relief spread through Sally. "Now I really need to meet this Annabeth of yours. I guess I will, soon."

Percy perked up. "What? What do you mean, soon?" His mother chuckled. "Well, winter break is in 2 weeks, and I'm coming to visit."

"Yes!" Grinning, Percy leaned against the kitchen counter. When it came to his mother, Percy was a completely different person. Gentle, caring, protective, and loving. If anyone saw the way he treated Sally (other than Rachel, of course practically lived with the Jacksons), they would be completely shocked. Although he had a bad reputation, Mrs. Jackson meant everything to Percy.

A ringing sound was heard from Sally's end. "Oh, there's someone at the door. I'll talk to you soon, Percy."

"Ok mom. Bye." He was about to end the call when he heard his mom speaking again.

"Percy... I know you. You're a good boy and I love you so much." his mom hung up. "Love you too, mom." Percy said softly, even though she had already ended the call. Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, Percy decided to give his homework another shot.

* * *

Leo Valdez locked his bedroom door, not caring how furious Aunt Rosa would be. You see, she just _had_ to know everything that was going on in Leo's life. But if Leo was going to want to work on his _"stupid inventions"_ (as Aunt Rosa called them), he was going to need privacy.

Leo was a loser. That's how he, and most of the school, viewed him as. He wasn't the brightest (blame it on the ADHD and dyslexia). He had a scrawny body which certainly didn't attract girls. Leo had a mischievous look to him that made people steer clear of him. He wasn't on any of the sports teams, and didn't win awards for academic achievement. He didn't have a girlfriend. Actually, girls never really interacted with him (other than the ones in his friend group).

As Aunt Rosa said, Leo was _un niño inútil**_. Useless. Completely useless.

So when he discovered that he could bring devices to life with his hands, the boy was ecstatic. Finally, he could do something! Change the world! And so Leo's main aspiration in life became to build machines that would help people.

He never told his aunt. She's just laugh in his face and say, _"You? Change the world? You won't amount to_ ** _anything_** _."_ She was forced to let Leo stay with her because his mom died years ago, his dad disappeared when he was a toddler, and he had no other family.

So... Leo had a hard life. He managed, however. Cracking jokes to hide the pain. Acting goofy to hide his miserableness.

His life wasn't all crap, though. Meeting Piper and Jason was one of the best things that happened to him. The three bonded, especially Piper and Jason. Eventually their friend group got bigger, and Jason finally asked Piper out.

Leo was happy for both of them. Jason was his best friend, and Piper was like a sister to him. Even so, ever since "Jasper" (as Leo called them, teasingly) got together, Leo started feeling like a third wheel.

Anyways, back to the present. Leo's hands reached for his box of spare parts. He had taken apart objects in his room to get the parts. Fiddling with the parts and a screwdriver, he began assembling a contraption he had been working on.

Eyebrows furrowed, Leo dedicated all his attention to the task at hand. His curly, dark hair fell in front of his eyes, and his hand flicked upwards to brush the strand away.

This focused side of him was rarely seen by anyone. Even Jason and Piper didn't know his true potential for mechanics.

Leo reached for one of his wrenches when he heard a mewling noise from outside his window. Grinning, he went to open his window, and a cat slid into his room. "Hey Buford."

Buford was a chocolate brown cat with startling green eyes. Leo had researched cat breeds and found out that Buford was a Havana Brown. _Whatever that is._

The cat had shown up one day at Leo's window, mewling constantly as though demanding to be let in. Leo didn't know if Buford had an owner since he had no collar, but the brown cat was well groomed. That wasn't the most important thing, though. Whenever Aunt Rosa forbade her nephew from going out, Buford would keep him company.

Buford leaped from the windowsill to the floor, and jumped onto Leo's bed. Sitting back at his desk, Leo fiddled with screws and nuts and bolts. The front door opened, announcing the arrival of Aunt Rosa. Quickly, Leo shoved his project into a small box and stuffed it under his bed.

* * *

"Leo!" called his aunt. Scooping up Buford, Leo set the cat outside of the window and closed it softly. Although Aunt Rosa loved cats, she wouldn't appreciate having one roam around the apartment.

"LEO!" He stumbled towards the front door, where his aunt stood. Aunt Rosa had curly black hair that had streaks of gray and reached a couple of inches below her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep brown and she had a few wrinkles. Leo's aunt wasn't slender, but she also wasn't overweight.

Wearing a floral button up shirt with dark jeans, Aunt Rosa looked like she normally did.

Despite the fact that she was smiling.

Leo almost tripped when he approached her and found she was beaming at him. "Leo, I'd like you to meet someone." Aunt Rosa gestured at someone who seemed to be waiting outside. A tall man with dark skin entered the tiny apartment. He looked to be in his 50's, close to Aunt Rosa's age. He greeted Leo, smiling wide. "Hey, son. It's nice to meet you. My name is Todd. Todd Williams."

Recovering from shock, Leo replied. "Leo Valdez. Nice to meet you too." Still confused, Leo turned towards his aunt. "So, you brought home a strange man. Is he supposed to be a replacement for the hamster I wanted when I was 6?"

Looking at Leo with her eyes flashing in warning, Aunt Rosa turned towards Todd and laughed. _Laughed._ "Oh, Leo is soo silly. I apologize for that, Todd."

Instead of being offended, Todd merely chuckled. "He sure has a sense of humor. No, I'm not a replacement for a pet you never had. I'm Rosa's boyfriend."

* * *

"Mmm Jason, my dad is going to come home soon." Jason pressed his lips to Piper's, and the two continued their passionate make out session. The two sat on the couch in Piper's living room. Well, Piper was practically sitting in Jason's lap.

Reluctantly, Piper pulled back.

 _"My dad is going to be home soon,"_ she whispered. Jason groaned, running a hand through his blonde hair. "I wish we could have a moment alone together. I mean it has been a while since the last time we... you know..." he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Jason!" Piper swatted her boyfriend playfully.

Laughing, Jason picked up his girlfriend by the waist and spun her around. Shrieking and giggling ensued, and the two eventually ended up as a heap on the floor. Piper, who was on top of Jason, leaned down to meet his lips. At the same time, he sat up with the same intention.

Behind them, a voice spoke. "So I think this is my cue to let you guys know I'm here. Then you act all embarrassed and stuff, right?" The couple jumped apart.

"Dad!" Piper's cheeks lit up with a fiery blush. Jason was even more red, his face resembling a blonde tomato. "M-Mr. McLean. I-I didn't know you were there." Piper's father chuckled at the mortified teens. They thought he didn't know how intimate their relationship really was, but Mr. McLean knew exactly what was going on. He could tell from the looks they shared and their idle touches. Their feelings for each other were apparent in everything they did.

(Ok, so he found an empty condom package in Piper's room. But it was cooler to pretend he was psychic.)

And he was ok with it. He trusted his daughter to make the right choices. He knew that Jason really cared about Piper and would never do anything that would make her uncomfortable or would hurt her.

So, yes. Tristan McLean supported his daughter's relationship.

"Piper, I'm going out for an hour. You and Jason can order dinner if you want." Mr. McLean grabbed his car keys and headed out. Turning to her boyfriend, Piper spoke. "So, is this the alone time you were looking for?" Smirking, Jason replied, "Yeah, baby."

* * *

 **I hope it's not boring. Pleeaase tell me if it is.**


	8. Author's Note

Hey guys, I'm back. I am so absolutely sorry that I ditched you guys. A lot of stuff happened and I got really busy after that. Well anyways, for anyone who still might be watching for an update, I just wanted to let you guys know that I made a Wattpad account so please follow me1

Username: littlemissyrue

I'm currently writing two stories right now so if you're into Miraculous you should check them out. If you're not, that's fine.

You should check them out anyways. :D

So, enough self promotion. I do not believe that I will be continuing this story on Wattpad but who knows?

Thank you all for reading my story and for all the kind comments. You guys are amazing. I wish you all the best in life.


	9. UPDATE!

Hey guys! I decided to continue the story after all (with a few tweaks). If you guys want to follow this story, you can find it on Wattpad under the name 'As the wind blows'. Every friday a new chapter will be posted (hopefully). I would appreciate it a lot if you guys were to read it.

Just as a reminder, my username is littlemissyrue.

Please check out my account, it would mean a lot. :)


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